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Crosse Clicks: Always Early, Never Prepared

[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou know that old saying some people live by?

[quote]The early bird gets the worm.[/quote]

When preaching about the importance of showing up early, one thing teachers, coaches and mentors often fail to explain is that arriving early is only half the battle. You also need to arrive prepared.

Personally, I think Connor Wilson hit the nail on the head in his recent posts in which he shared five rules for lacrosse practice and five rules for lacrosse players.

As a coach, I’ve seen players I instruct arrive up to an hour early for a training session, practice or game. Yet, moments before warm-ups start they’re still trying to find their mouthguards or lace up their cleats. So, rather than harping the importance of being early, I choose to preach about the value you can bring to your team when you show up 100% ready to go.

[quote]Show up on time and ready to play lacrosse better than you did yesterday.[/quote]

That’s all I ask. That means you should have tended to what mattered the night before, such as taking steps to improve your health if sick or easing your fatigue after a long day by getting to bed at a decent hour. Simple stuff. I want my players to have cared for their own well-being enough to be confident in who they are and the way they feel when they step on the field.

My viewpoint as shared above has certainly evolved over the years. It’s something I’ve come to believe in thanks to the many things I’ve learned about life, sport, and business over time.

Today, as a businessman, I certainly don’t abide by the early bird rule. I respect the time of others, which is what showing up on time is all about. And otherwise, I skip to my own beat because in order to be successful in what I do, I need to always put my well being first. But no matter what is on my schedule for the day ahead, I always come prepared.

I only wish I had this same mentality back in high school and college!

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Click, Baby, Click!

Following up from last week’s MLL/LXM news, Chris Rosenthall wrote an awesome piece entitled “Professional Lacrosse & The Week of Opportunity.” Give it a read! (LAS)

According to Coach Pietramala, Drew Kennedy and other Johns Hopkins’ face-off men practice with headphones and an iPod that plays whistle sounds over and over again. That’s one way to build great muscle memory! (Baltimore Sun)

Also, speaking of JHU, the team is hoping a revamped offense helps fuel the fire. Look no further than attackman Ryan Brown for that! Oh, plus Coach Pietramala racked up his 150th win! (Baltimore Sun, Press Box Online, JHU.edu)

Princeton men’s lacrosse fans are counting on the team’s deep roster to bring it back to the top of the Ivy League this season. (The Daily Princetonian)

The RIT Tigers men’s lacrosse team enters 2014 ready to contend for an NCAA Division III national title. #1 in the USILA Poll for the first time in program history! (Democrat and Chronicle, RIT Athletics)

Loyola men’s lacrossestraight flexin‘. (Baltimore Sun)

Syracuse Orange attackman Dylan Donahue won ACC Player of the Week. He’s racked up 11 goals and 3 assists in two games and just finished one goal shy of beating Cuse’s single-game scoring record (held by Casey Powell) when Cuse played Siena. (Syracuse.com)

Concussions in lacrosse… Thanks to US Lacrosse for the must-read Q&A! (US Lacrosse)
Want more on this subject? Look no further than the “Concussions in Lacrosse” series we ran a few months back:
Concussions in Lacrosse, Part 1
– Concussions in Lacrosse, Part 2
Concussions in Lacrosse, Part 3

Box lacrosse is gaining popularity in the State of hockey much in thanks to the fine people at the Minnesota Swarm. (Fox Sports)

The UNC women’s lacrosse team tied a school record for most goals in a game against Canisius last week when they beat the Golden Griffins 24 to 6. The Tar Heels remain unbeaten. (The Daily Tar Heel)

Army is adding a women’s lacrosse program that will be ready to compete in the 2015-16 season. (LaxPower)

Speaking of records, the Michigan men’s lacrosse team snagged a record breaking win last week. The Wolverines’ 14-13 overtime victory against Detroit gave the team more than one win in a season for the first time ever! (The Michigan Daily)

“In their inaugural ACC game, Syracuse was overpowered in almost every facet Saturday. Faceoffs continue to haunt the Orange, and the goalie situation became a little more worrisome.” (Nunes Magician)

Crystal Mangum, the former Duke lacrosse accuser, spoke to media from behind bars recently. (ABC11)

See, MCLA players? There’s nothing wrong with enjoying that club lacrosse atmosphere. (The Breeze)

Denver Broncos lineman Orlando Franklin said he would have been a goalie after watching his lacrosse practice. (Fansided)

February 19th was a historic day for black lacrosse coaches. Congratulations go out to Coach Darry Thornton and Coach Richard Carrington for leading the way! (US Lacrosse)

“He hasn’t played high school game yet, but he’s committed to Johns Hopkins”…indeed, lacrosse recruiting starts wayyyyyyyyy too young! (Baltimore Sun)

If you’ve ever torn your ACL, then you know how much of a life-altering injury it can be. One thing that can help you bounce back sooner? Having a complete understanding about what it means to suffer an ACL tear. (US Lacrosse)

Does height really matter in lacrosse? I don’t think so. At 5-foot-7, Georgetown’s Jeff Fountain might be able to attest to that. (IL, Baltimore Sun)

Princeton University men’s lacrosse coach Chris Bates is helping build a medical facility in Ghana in honor of his late wife. (NJ.com)

Mike Powell is building furniture and getting some well-deserved recognition for his new album, Kapow. (Syracuse.com)

Two Dominican University men’s lacrosse players are also aspiring media personalities. Going to school in the Bay Area sure is convenient for that! (Dominican Athletics)

“If the Calgary Roughnecks are going to make a Champion’s Cup run in 2014, it’ll be thanks to the key shot-blocks, stingy defensive play and winning the small battles that too often go unnoticed.” (Calgary Sun)

Congrats to the Illinois Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team! The Titans snagged their first win in program history over the weekend. (IWUSports.com)

Last, and certainly least, a list of the “10 lacrosse bros you meet at college” was recently released. Oh joy. (BroBible)

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